Ba Sing Se: Secrets of the Siege
by Jade258
Summary: Lu TenxOC - When the Fire Nation came to Ba Sing Se in 95 ASC, it brought what it always did; pain, misery, war, death and violence. But for some people, it brought new beginnings and impossible emotions. For some people, it brought love.
1. Part I: Of Desire and Traitors

**Chapter Rating: **T  
**Genre: **Romance/Drama  
**Pairings: **Lu Ten x OC  
**Setting: **Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom  
**Time: **Siege of Ba Sing Se – 95 ASC

_My first fan fiction ever, Enjoy! :]  
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**Part I  
****Of Desire and Traitors**

_A Bar - The Middle Ring_

Raucous cheers tore through the air; a messy mixture of cat calls, wolf whistles and glasses banging against wood. Everyone who was still sober looked avidly at the girl standing in the middle of the large room, her hand resting on the dagger attached to her belt. Across the room, a man twice her age and size leaned against the wall, but she seemed unperturbed.

"Here's how this'll go down, missy. I win, and you will spend a night with me." He leered at her and Amaya looked at him in distaste.

Even from across the room she could see that the man was swaying in his place, a tankard of ale clutched in his hand. The noise level rose by several decibels and she could sense the crowd's impatience. Not bothering to waste any more time, Amaya shrugged off the hood of her black robe and ran a finger lovingly down the blade of her dagger. Her gaze intensified and in a flash, she unsheathed the dagger and sent it flying through the air.

It lodged itself firmly into the wood through the material of his shirt and an ugly scowl replaced his previously drunken expression.

"Seems like I win." She said simply.

The crowd let out a sound of exasperation at the fight ending so quickly and Amaya turned away, her back stiffening slightly as she closed her eyes. The noise levels around her seemed to magnify but she heard what she was listening for; the slight 'clunk' of the dagger dislodging itself from the wood and then the thundering of the man's feet against the floor. She dropped to her feet and turned, flinging her hand outwards. The earth beneath her rumbled and a stone column shot out, connecting solidly with his stomach.

Amaya sat there, laughing quietly at the man who now lay in a heap across the room. She got up and made her way over to him, lightly nudging the side of his head with her boot. Then slowly she turned, her arms raised in victory and the drunk men and women lining the side of the room cheered once more.

Two boys shuffled towards the unconscious man and picked him up. Making their way over to the corner, they dumped him unceremoniously onto a chair, letting his head loll forward.

Amaya brushed the specks of dust off her robe before taking a seat at the bar and ordering a drink. Her eyes carefully surveyed the whole room, looking for someone interesting but not spotting anyone she turned back to the bar. She took her drink and was just sipping it when she sensed someone's gaze on her. Turning her head a fraction to the left, Amaya calmly looked at the boy staring at her.

"Can I help you?" She asked, raising her eyebrows lightly.

"Yes, you most certainly can." He drawled, a smirk playing on his lips. Catching the gist of what he was saying, she laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she studied his appearance. The boy had sharp features, high aristocratic cheekbones and pale skin. His black hair hung loosely around his eyes, adding a sultry aspect to his look but it was his eyes that caught her attention. They were unlike any that she had ever seen before; the color of liquid gold.

"Wow." Amaya breathed to herself as she felt her eyes widening. His gaze locked with hers and she cleared her throat hastily, feeling her cheeks burning.

"Wow, indeed." He said, his eyes shamelessly roving up and down her body.

"Eyes up here, mister. I'd hate to ruin that pretty face of yours." Amaya said, once she had regained her composure.

The boy merely chuckled deeply, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Feisty, I see." He said lightly, taking a sip from his drink. Leaning forward, he placed his mouth next to her ear before speaking. "I like that." He murmured, his warm breath ghosting on her neck.

Amaya shoved him away but he merely smiled in satisfaction at her slightly flushed cheeks. "What's your name?" She asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Lu Ten." He said. "You?"

"I'm Amaya."

He hummed in acknowledgement and downed his whole drink, causing Amaya to skeptically stare at all the empty shot glasses lined up in front of him. "You usually drink so much this early in the evening?" She questioned.

"Depends..." Lu Ten said quietly, even thought there was a hint of finalization in his voice. Understanding that he probably didn't want to talk about why he was drinking, she did not question him further on the topic. "So, Miss Amaya, where do you come from?"

"Around here, obviously." She said with a roll of her eyes. "You?"

"Oh, around, _obviously_." He said mockingly, causing Amaya's lips to twitch.

Suddenly, he hooked his foot around the leg of her chair and pulled it forward. Amaya almost fell off but managed to regain her balance just as the chair came to a halt. "A little warning, perhaps." She said irritably. Blatantly ignoring her, Lu Ten's hands moved to her waist and he pressed his body flush against her. Amaya felt the blood rush to her cheeks and shuffled uncomfortably.

"I wouldn't have thought that you of all people would be a prude, Amaya." Lu Ten challengingly.

"You thought right." She said turning her head so that their lips were mere inches apart. A smile played on her lips as she stared into his eyes, which had darkened with lust. Lu Ten leaned in, abruptly closing the distance between them as he pressed his lips against hers. Placing one hand on her neck, he pulled her forward to deepen the kiss while the other rested on her waist.

His tongue nudged her lips open and she parted them. Amaya, all too aware of the taste of alcohol in his mouth and realizing that making out with a drunk boy was hardly appropriate, reluctantly pulled away. She heard him groan at the sudden loss of contact and smiled wryly at him.

"You're drunk." Amaya said softly as she stood up. Reaching into her pocket, she paid for both of their drinks before turning to Lu Ten, only to see that his head was resting on the counter top. Even though she would very much have liked to get out of their, she couldn't just leave him there. Besides, she had a feeling he would have an incredible headache once he woke up.

Frowning, she pulled him up and began to earth bend him upstairs. Unfortunately, though, the second story's floors were made of wood so she laboriously began to pull him into a room.

Kicking open the door, she dragged him in and left him on the floor beside the bed. Yawning, she kicked off her boots before shrugging off her robes, revealing a simple white kimono underneath. Amaya shut the door and locked it before unsheathing her dagger and coin purse and placing them on the dresser beside the bed. Stepping over Lu Ten, she snuggled into the bed and lapsed into a light sleep.

* * *

_Fire Nation Base - Outer Wall_

The light from the flame illuminated the spacious tent, throwing distorted shadows here and there. A mahogany desk stood in the middle of the tent and a man sat behind it, carefully surveying the sheets of parchments sprawled across the tabletop. A merry fire burned a few meters behind the desk at the very back of the tent and two guards in Fire Nation armor manned the entrance to the tent. The general fervently pored over the diagrams of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, underneath which were elaborate and detailed measurements. He continued to survey the parchment for several minutes before leaning back in his chair and tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Perhaps you would like to step out for a few moments. Get some fresh air." General Iroh said to the two guards at the entrance.

"As you wish, sir." Came the muffled reply from behind the helmet and they turned and exited the tent. Iroh continued to sit there for a few seconds before standing up and moving to a cabinet sitting in the corner of the tent. Pulling it open, he took out a box of tea leaves, some water and a porcelain cup.

A few minutes later he sat comfortably behind his desk, sipping a steaming cup of Ginseng tea. The desk had been tidied up; the parchments neatly stacked in a pile and his writing utensils in their places. He calmly continued to sip his tea, sighing with satisfaction as the steaming tea warmed him up. He relaxed into the chair and had almost fallen asleep when a large commotion was heard outside.

The sound of earth rumbling reached his ears, followed by shouts and then finally a young boyish yell, laced with anger. Iroh stood up and pushed aside the flaps leading into his tents, stepping out into the open. Every eye was fixed on a young boy, of about 17, who was kneeling on the ground. A cut on his cheek and upper lip was bleeding profusely, the blood dripping onto his Earth Kingdom clothing.

"What is the meaning of this?" Iroh said loudly, and at once silence fell.

"General Iroh! This peasant was trying to ambush us." A soldier declared, his hand clutched around the scruff of the boy's shirt.

"NO!" He yelled, enraged. "I wasn't trying to attack anyone."

The soldier hit him hard across the face and the blood continued to flow in little rivulets down his face.

"Enough." Iroh said sharply. "If the boy was here to attack, he would have brought a larger force. I hardly think a child would be stupid enough to ambush the whole Fire Nation Military single handedly." The soldier nodded sheepishly and let go of the boy.

"Take him to my tent and you, fetch the doctor." Iroh ordered. The two soldiers immediately set to the tasks assigned to them and the general turned around to face the soldiers. "How did he get here?"

"He's an earth bender, sir. He tunneled into the ground, presumably from the Inner City and came here. He seemed intent on talking to you but Lee was convinced that he was an assassin." A soldier explained.

Iroh nodded silently and then entered his tent once again. The boy had already earth bended himself a chair and was sitting on it, waiting for Iroh. "General." He greeted.

"What is your name?" Iroh questioned.

"They call me Feng, sir." He said quietly.

"Why are you here?" The general said, as he seated himself behind the desk.

"I am a rogue earth bender, sir. I wish to use my bending prowess in the name of the Fire Nation." Feng said hurriedly, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "I want to help you breach the walls."

"How do I know that you're not a spy?" Iroh asked.

"Keep me here, in your camps. No one in the city will miss me." Feng said.

Iroh considered him, his eyes carefully studying his expression.

The boy had a raw enthusiasm and he doubted that the soldiers would take to him but an earth bender was exactly what they were looking for. The Fire Nation had been continuing their assault for almost nine months now but had not managed to penetrate the wall, even yet. It was incredibly dense and even after the Outer Wall, there was nothing pleasing on the other side. They would have to cover miles of flat land on foot before arriving at the Inner Wall and once again, the assault would begin. Iroh suspected that without an earth bender it could take at least one more year for them to penetrate both walls.

This process was merely hindered by the earth benders on top of the wall who had relentlessly dropped boulders on them. In addition, every time the Fire Nation made any progress, the earth benders would once again repair the wall.

"Very well." Iroh said decisively.

"And what will I get in return, General?" Feng asked, his eyes glinting as a smirk played on his lips.

"500 gold pieces?" Iroh offered.

"I would have thought that the Fire Nation would pay a heftier price for an earth bender." Feng drawled. "I am talking 2500 gold pieces."

"2000." Iroh said firmly.

"2200." Feng promptly said.

"2100." Iroh said firmly. "My final price."

"Deal."

* * *

Lu Ten stirred, his vision swimming dangerously as he opened his eyes. His head felt like it was about to split open and he groaned in pain. Not yet realizing that there was someone else in the room, Lu Ten rolled over onto his stomach and slowly began to heave himself up on all fours. He jumped violently when an arm circled his waist and helped him up. He leaned gratefully onto the support and whoever it was gently laid him down onto a bed.

"How do you feel?" A female voice said, managing to penetrate his hazy senses.

Lu Ten at once jerked forward, realizing that it was a girl that had helped him up. He hastily ran a hand over his body to check that he was fully dressed and sighed with relief as he felt the coarse material of his clothing underneath his fingers.

He heard the girl laugh and slowly he felt his headache receding, as his vision sharpened. "Water." He managed to croak out.

"Yeah, sure. Just hold on a second." She said, reaching over to a jug of water and an empty glass which were perched on the dresser. Filling up the glass, she handed it to him and watched with amusement as he greedily downed it all. Setting aside the glass, Lu Ten stared carefully at the girl who was now perched on the edge of the bed, right next to his legs. She was pretty, with jet black hair that fell to her shoulders, and one strand hanging in between her eyes. Her grey eyes watched him worriedly and her lips were curved into an uncertain smile.

Some part of his mind recognized her and he felt snippets of their conversation returning to him. The shameless flirting, the kiss. He felt himself jolt again, his fingers reaching up to touch his lips uncertainly.

"I'm sorry." Lu Ten blurted out suddenly, feeling his breath catching in his throat as she looked at him questioningly. "For kissing you. I was a little drunk." He said hurriedly before moving to get out of the bed. However, a hand reached out, blocking his escape.

"You shouldn't go around running so soon, Lu Ten. You did drink a lot." She said with a concerned smile. "And it's okay." She said with another one of her adorable smiles.

Lu Ten stupidly stared at her, suddenly curious to find out what it felt like to kiss her red lips. Noticing his intense gaze, Amaya looked up at him and looked expectantly at him. When he remained silent, she reached over to the dresser and handed him a steaming cup. "Here, I thought you might need this once you woke up."

Lu Ten took it, smiling gratefully at her. As he silently sipped his tea, she got up and moved towards the window. He took this opportunity to stare avidly at her, hating how he was suddenly acting like a pervert. But try as hard as he might, he could not tear his eyes from her body, which was clad in a rather clingy kimono.

Shaking himself hard, he mentally reproached himself. He was the esteemed prince of the Fire Nation and a high ranking soldier, he did not go around ogling at random girls.

"It's Amaya, isn't it?" Lu Ten said from the other side of the room.

She turned around to look at him and nodded slightly. Amaya glanced once more at the sky that was visible through the window and then moved to the chair on which her things were piled. "Well, since you're awake, I'll be going now." She said hesitantly. She didn't mind taking care of Lu Ten but the tension in the air was becoming too much for her and she could sense Lu Ten's wandering gaze.

Amaya hurried pulled on her boots and fastened the buckle before shrugging on her robe. She made her way over to dresser beside the bed and picked up her coin purse and dagger. Attaching them to her belt, she was just about to turn away when Lu Ten's hand closed around her wrist.

"Thank you." He said with a boyish smile. "For everything."

"You're welcome." Amaya said, her own lips curving into a smile as she looked at Lu Ten's wide grin. She turned away from him and opened the door.

"I'll see you around." He called from the bed. Amaya shot him one last smile before shutting the door as she exited the room. Even so, she caught the two words which he said to himself before the door clicked shut.

"I hope."

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_Okay, well, there's my first chapter. To avoid any confusion, Amaya and Feng are my own creations._

_Do review; constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! :]_


	2. Part II: Of Victorious Enemies

**Chapter Rating: **K

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**Part II  
Of Victorious Enemies and Shortcomings **

_Earth Kingdom Palace_

Amaya's tongue poked out from between her teeth and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she precisely drew the brush across the coarse parchment, the paper readily absorbing the ink. The black characters stood out in contrast to the white of the parchment and she stared down at the name that she had written down.

_Lu Ten._

Her gaze was somewhat wistful as she stared at the paper, not realizing that the ink was dripping onto a corner of the parchment and forming messy blobs. While Amaya was mentally reproaching herself for even thinking about him at a time like this, she had found it rather difficult to think about anything else for the past few days.

Perhaps it was the fact that she had no idea who he was and it was the enigmatic aura about him that attracted her. Or maybe it was because she knew she shouldn't be getting attached to him. Either way, Amaya had oddly loved taking care of him even though she was well aware that there was a possibility she might not even see him again.

She was pulled out of her reverie as loud footsteps were heard outside her door and she jumped up, carelessly pulling a wooden box to herself and stuffing all of her calligraphy utensils into it, along with the parchment with Lu Ten's name on it.

Amaya's gaze slid to the door just as it creaked open and her lips curved into a smile as her brother, Xiang entered. "Well, well. The great Earth King graces me with his presence. I truly am humbled." Amaya said teasingly.

Her expression faltered a bit as he shot her a cold look but she did not take offense; instead, she could tell by the bags underneath his eyes that he was incredibly tired. Amaya did not ask him about it, instead she silently sat on the trunk at the foot of her bed and gestured for Xiang to join her. He slid off his cloak, and dropped it onto her bed before sitting down beside her. They sat like that for several minutes, bathed only in the moonlight that drifted in through the ceiling to floor window across from the two before Xiang began abruptly.

"They're asking for more reinforcements." He said tonelessly. "Ba Sing Se may be a metropolis but even we don't have that many soldiers. General Fong says that the non-benders are dying so easily. Especially the ones in the infantry squad. If this goes on for any longer, the Fire Nation will have easily outnumbered us. What do I do, Amaya?" Xiang said, and Amaya placed a hand on his shoulder as she heard the desperation in his voice.

"Calm down, Xiang." She said quietly. "We'll work this out." When he continued to look dejected, Amaya playfully ruffled his hair. "Send envoys to the northern towns. I know you only want to utilize the Earth Kingdom Military but in times like these, Xiang, you can't follow regulations. Plus, I'm sure that there are several talented earth benders up north." Amaya said firmly. When he remained silent, she knew that he was unconvinced and reluctantly delivered the final blow.

"They will massacre us. They will destroy everything, you know that as well as I do." She said remorsefully.

Xiang remained silent for a few more seconds before he nodded and turned to her. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Good, then we'll have to keep it quiet. Send your most trusted Dai Li agents but only the lower ranking ones, people might notice if the leader is gone. And don't let Kuei catch a whiff of this. He's probably the only person in the whole world who still doesn't know what is going on." Amaya said with a wry smile.

She squeezed his shoulder gently and frowned as she felt him tense up. "Please trust me, Xiang. I only want what's best for you." Amaya said, her voice laced with compassion.

The silence stretched on and she stood up, making her way to her bedside table. Amaya picked up an amphora and poured its contents into a small cup. Sitting down beside Xiang, she handed it to him. "Here, drink this."

He shot her a skeptical look and tentatively took a sip. Amaya smiled wryly as he let out a sound of disgust, looking like he had just sucked on a lemon. "What the hell is this?" Xiang snapped.

"Language, your majesty." Amaya said teasingly. "And that heavenly concoction...is premium saké."

"Where'd you get it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nowhere." Amaya said vaguely, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Finish that up and don't snoop around after you're done. I'm going to bed." She ruffled his hair one more time before getting up from the trunk and making her way over to her bed. Amaya lay down and pulled the covers over her after blowing out the candle on her bedside table.

"Good night." Her voice drifted out from the darkness and the corners of Xiang's mouth twitched as he looked at his sister's sleeping figure.

* * *

_Fire Nation Base - Outer Wall_

"Where's my money?" Feng spat out as he looked up at Lu Ten.

"Careful, boy. You're talking to the prince of the Fire Nation." He drawled, sneering at the shorter boy.

"I couldn't care less. I got you into the city and now, I want my money!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Not just yet. I want to go again; tonight, at sunset. And this time, I'll give you 50 gold pieces." Lu Ten said quietly, his alert gaze scouring the area around them.

"Fine." Feng said, an ugly scowl on his face.

"Remember, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you'll die a very abrupt death." Lu Ten said coolly before stalking off to his tent. Feng's eyes narrowed as he looked at his retreating figure until he disappeared into his tent.

Oh, how he'd love to chop off that pretty little head of his. A week had passed since the prince's last visit to the city and Feng still hadn't gotten his money. His suspicions had been increasing and patience wearing thin. Every where he turned in this godforsaken base, there would be a pair of golden eyes staring at him. Each and every soldier distrusted him, thought of him as a peasant even though they had no idea of who he really was.

Feng silently made his way to the wall where the Fire Nation workmen and soldiers were breaking off little fragments of the wall. By now they had formed an impressive little hole but even so they were far from breaking through the several feet thick wall.

He jolted forward as a hand suddenly latched onto his collar and pulled him backwards. "You, boy. What do you think you're doing, standing around?" A soldier said to him. "GET TO WORK!" He bellowed in his ear and Feng dazedly shook his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears.

He shrugged him off and walked nearer to the wall. Seeing him, all of the working men stepped backward and out of his way. Feng kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt before widening his stance and placing his hands on the wall. He lightly tapped the rock with his knuckles, walking a few steps to the left. Feng put his ear to the wall and as he lightly prodded, kicked, knocked and poked several parts of it, he could hear the Fire Nation soldiers behind him scoffing and laughing. Rolling his eyes, he stepped back and began so abruptly that silence at once fell.

The earth beneath him rumbled as he relentlessly shot earth columns into the wall. Chunks fell off easily and he coughed as the dust flew into his eyes. Again and again he earth bended the columns to slam into the wall and his ears rang. Sweat ran down his chest as he crouched down onto the ground and fisted his hands, placing his knuckles firmly onto the earth.

He gasped for breath, feeling his muscles strain and his head spin as the dust settled onto his tongue and went up his nose. With a yell, he stood up and two huge columns, six feet wide, shot out from the ground. Dust shrouded everyone in the vicinity and Feng fell down on all fours, exhausted and coughing hard. His hair was tinged brown at this point, the dust and debris from the rocks settling in the dark brown tresses.

But as the dust cleared away, a shout of triumph went up into the air. "We've broken through! Alert the general." Someone yelled and a soldier ran to the largest tent in the heart of the base.

Feng raised his head to look at the large hole in the wall and earth bended the columns back into the ground. He'd done it.

_I'm rich!_

_

* * *

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_Meanwhile in the Earth Kingdom Palace..._

"Your majesty! The Fire Nation has infiltrated the Outer Wall." The messenger practically yelled.

Xiang's face paled and Amaya's head snapped up in surprise. "What? How?"

"They have employed an earth bender, m'lady. And a very strong one. Soldiers on the wall say that he was able to raise huge columns out of the earth." He said frantically.

Amaya's eyes widened as she ran a hand through her hair, almost knocking off her royal headpiece. She paced back and forth in front of Xiang while the messenger nervously looked at her. Her mind raced as she frantically forced herself to get a hold of herself and abruptly turned to the messenger.

"Very well. Alert the Council of Five and tell them that Earth King Xiang requests an audience. After you've done that, go to the Earth Kingdom Militia base and tell whoever is in-charge to send me the best archers they have." Amaya said rapidly.

Xiang continued to sit in silence as the messenger scurried off and Amaya stepped up to his side. She didn't say anything and placed a hand on his shoulder. They remained in that position, Xiang on his throne and Amaya standing beside him for several minutes before the doors swung open and the Council of Five entered.

"Generals." Amaya said in acknowledgement. She looked to Xiang for permission and he nodded tersely. Her lips curved into a strained smile and she stepped forward. "As you all know, the Fire Nation has infiltrated the Outer Wall. Firstly, we need to patch up the structure to remove all instabilities. I trust that you will assign your strongest benders to this task. I suggest that you send a messenger hawk immediately. The quicker, the better." Amaya said firmly and General Fong nodded in agreement.

"Immediately, General." She repeated calmly and he jumped up at once, leaving the room.

"Secondly, and this is the more important part, I am sure that you may have heard that it was an earth bender that broke through our walls. A rogue, it seems." Amaya began quietly and the four generals nodded. Before she could continue, the doors opened once again and six people stepped in. Two women, one who looked like a mere teenager and the other who could have been thirty or so; and four men, varying in age.

"Perfect, right on time." Amaya said as she gestured for them to step forward. They joined the four generals and bowed. "Now, General Shun, I believe that you are in charge of training the Militia and these six people are under your command. Archers, all of them. I presume they are good?..." Amaya trailed off leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Most certainly, princess. All of us can shoot a target from over half a mile away." One of the boys said.

"Impressive." Amaya said. "Now, I need two of you to complete a task for the Earth King. I will leave it to General Shun to decide who those two will be. For now, I will debrief you." Amaya paused for a second.

"It is a fairly simple mission but one mistake could render the whole attempt futile. This will require precision and flawless timing. Are you prepared?" She asked imposingly.

The six nodded vigorously and Amaya continued. "Good. Now, the Fire Nation Army has employed an earth bender. It was with his help that they managed to infiltrate our walls. If they continue to utilize his talents, it will not take them long to break through the Inner Wall. So, to prevent such a thing from happening, I want you, General Shun to provide your two archers with something to recognize him by and then..." She said, turning to the archers.

"I want you to kill him."

The silence stretched on and she raised her eyebrows, daring anyone to disagree with her. "You will be swift. You will be decisive. Earth King Xiang does not appreciate mistakes. Is that understood?" She asked loudly.

The six nodded hurriedly and Amaya managed a smile. "General Shun, you will pick two archers and position them on top of the Inner Wall. I presume that it will take the Fire Nation Military several days to reach the Inner Wall. When they do, and _before _they begin their assault..." Amaya said.

"I want that earth bender dead."

* * *

_So this chapter turned out a lot more exciting than the first one...  
__Much thanks to Austin for lending me his character, Xiang! ^_^_

_Don't forget to review! :D_


	3. Part III: Behind the Façade

**Part III  
Behind the Façade**

_Ba Sing Se - Lower Ring_

Lu Ten pulled the hood over his head and nimbly heaved himself out of the hole. There was the swift transition between the glow of the candle in Feng's hand, the brown of the dirt onto which he clung and then a burst of light and sound so strong that he felt alive again. Even as the sun set, the streets were alive with activity.

The mangy thieves lining the walls sold their goods while others, who looked like they were in a much better condition than them, bought what they offered. They were unconcerned with the fact that the Fire Nation had infiltrated the walls a mere day ago; even if the Palace walls were draped with the red hangings of the Fire Nation rather than the green of the Earth Kingdom, they couldn't care less. Fire Nation or no Fire Nation, their business would always go on.

Lu Ten could easily guess by Feng's demeanor that he belonged to the Lower Ring but the prince had already forbidden him from interacting with anyone. So, he walked swiftly with his head ducked down and his hand warily placed on the hem of his ragged jacket, under which was the hilt of his dagger.

The two of them turned into a more secluded pathway and silently made their way across the streets. At once, Feng raised his head, his trademark smirk plastered onto his face. He glanced at Lu Ten and the prince glared challengingly at him.

"What?" He snapped.

"You know, _highness_, it's very unlikely for a prince to sneak into a city which his own country has laid siege to. But instead of showing them the tunnels that lead into the city, he uses them himself. How...unusual." Feng said slowly, his smirk widening into an evil grin.

"What are you saying, peasant?" Lu Ten said venemously.

"Oh, just that, maybe you're fraternizing with the enemy. Or maybe, you should up the amounts a little bit if you want me to keep quiet." Feng said unpleasantly.

"Oh, should I now?" Lu Ten said with mock thoughtfulness. "Maybe you should think out your threats a little bit more, boy. If you accuse the prince of the Fire Nation of such a crime you, rather than I, will be put to the sword. You will be killed for disrespecting me." He said smugly.

Feng scowled deeply but refused to give up just yet. "Well, if you're not fraternizing with the enemy, what are you doing?"

"That's hardly any of your business, peasant." The prince said, as he thought of Amaya.

Feng gasped in realization as he looked at the prince with wide eyes. "Well, well. Is the esteemed prince of the Fire Nation getting some...entertainment? From an Earth Kingdom slut?" He said suggestively. "Or maybe I misinterpret. For all I know, your little friend could be a...man." Feng said.

Lu Ten looked at him, shocked into silence by the boy's boldness, but more offended by the fact that Feng had suggested that he was a fag. Looking at the prince's appalled expression, Feng burst out laughing. His laughter bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the alley as he clutched at his stomach.

Lu Ten glared at the boy as he laughed raucously at his own jest and crossed his arms as he waited for his mirth to subside. Once Feng was done, the prince stared shrewdly at him before turning away and beginning to walk again.

"Aw, come on now. Did I upset you?" He said teasingly, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Lu Ten turned his head to the left to glare at him but remained silent still.

"Well, you didn't deny it so, who is this lady friend of yours? What does she look like? Is she attractive? Did you find her in a whorehouse? " He rattled off. Lu Ten stubbornly held his tongue but Feng could see his hands trembling with rage. Ah, so it really was a girl then.

"Wow, she really must be one _erotic_ bitch, then." Feng said slowly, carefully watching Lu Ten through the corner of his eye. The reaction was instantaneous. The prince immediately unsheathed his Piandao original and roughly pushed Feng against a wall.

"Shut. Up." Lu Ten whispered into his ear through gritted teeth.

Feng's eyes widened as he felt the tip of the sword digging into his side and he held his breath, scrunching his eyes up tight. He didn't even think to earth bend, feeling that it would only incense the prince even more. The silence stretched on for several minutes and Lu Ten's heavy breathing was the only sound in the dingy alley.

Just as suddenly as he had attacked, Lu Ten stepped back and sheathed his sword before swiftly walking again. Feng scurried after him. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd like her that much." He said quietly.

"Who even says that it's a girl?" He practically yelled at him.

"You kind of did, just then." Feng said with an apologetic little smile.

"No, I didn't." Lu Ten said stubbornly.

"Whatever, then." He said with a shrug.

They continued to make their way through the alleys that snaked throughout the Lower Ring and the silence stretched on uncomfortably. At this point, Lu Ten began to count his steps in an attempt to ignore Feng who was fidgeting beside him.

_One...Two...Three...  
__I wonder if she'll even be there. Maybe she's already forgotten.  
Four...Five...Six  
She was well-groomed and very neat. Maybe she's a nobleman's daughter._  
_Seven...Eight...Nine  
She probably thinks I'm a peasant of some sort.  
T_-

"What's her name?" Feng asked abruptly.

Lu Ten threw him an annoyed look. "Amaya." He mumbled, not even sure why he was telling him.

"Amaya?" Feng asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Say, where'd you meet this Amaya?"

"Why?" Lu Ten asked suspiciously.

"No reason." Feng said vaguely.

The prince narrowed his eyes but said nothing. A few more minutes passed and he came to a halt. "I'll be back in an hour. Don't run off." Lu Ten said.

"I want my money for the last trip." Feng said flatly.

Lu Ten raised his eyebrows arrogantly. "I'll leave you here." The boy threatened.

"Fine." He said with a groan and unstrapped the coin bag attached to his belt. "Take this."

Feng took the bag with a smirk. "Pleasure doing business with you." He said with a wink.

Lu Ten spared him a disgusted glance before turning away and heading silently for his destination.

As soon as the prince had turned the corner, Feng sprang up and began to follow him.

* * *

_A Bar - The Middle Ring_

Amaya folded her arms on the table top and dejectedly let her head fall onto them. The past one day had taken more out of her than a fortnight usually would and she was completely spent. War meetings, conferences and complaints of every imaginable kind had reached her and Xiang's ears and she was silently beginning to wonder what the Dai Li were for, if not to take some sort of part in the political affairs.

She closed her eyes and breathed out, wishing desperately for something new to happen. Something other than overfed and stubby men coming together to discuss what was best for a country they obviously didn't care for. Alcohol could only do so much when the need for refreshment came up but she had had so much that, now her senses were hazy.

So much so, that she didn't even notice as someone gently placed their hand on her shoulder. It was only once the person had vigorously shaken her that she had to groggily raise her head with the intention of glaring at the intruder. Amaya opened her mouth to tell them to get lost but froze when she saw who it was. Her lips curved into a tired smile and she straightened up.

Amaya stood up and they both embraced. "It's been so long, Feng." She murmured into his ear. "Where have you _been_?"

"Oh, around." He said carelessly with a hollow laugh. "I was escorting a certain someone but I think I might have beat him here."

Amaya laughed joyously, feeling as if the mere sight of Feng had refreshed her more than anything ever could. She stepped back and pulled him into the seat across from her. "I've missed you so much. You disappeared without telling me." She said with an adorable pout.

"Sorry, but I had some...business to attend to." He said, averting his eyes.

"Oh no, what have you been up to now?" She said disapprovingly.

"Nothing." He said stiffly and defensively.

Guilt ate away at Feng's insides as he wondered what she would think of him if she really knew what he'd been up to for the past two weeks.

"Fine, don't tell me." Amaya said with a frown.

"What have you been up to?" He hurriedly asked, not wanting to upset her.

"Not much." Amaya said with a shrug.

"You sure?" Feng said with a suggestive raise of the eyebrows.

Amaya stared suspiciously at him. "Yes, I'm sure. Why?"

Before Feng could answer, a shadow fell across their table and Amaya glanced up at the towering figure. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze fell upon Lu Ten's handsome features and she could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Hi." He said softly.

"Hi." She replied abruptly.

Feng watched, with amusement, as an uncharacteristic blush crept onto Amaya's cheeks and then let his gaze slide to Lu Ten. His expression had softened and a smile graced his lips as he looked at her. Feng had never seen him look so peaceful.

"Evening." He said loudly, abruptly shattering the moment and Amaya looked away from Lu Ten, clearing her throat uncomfortably. "Oh yes. Feng, this is Lu Ten. Lu Ten, Feng." She said hurriedly, the lightest of frowns on her face.

Feng could easily sense her discomfort but did not relent. "That's me." He said, smirking at Lu Ten as Amaya glanced elsewhere.

"Nice to meet you." Lu Ten said, through gritted teeth.

"Be nice." Amaya said automatically and Feng looked at her with amusement while Lu Ten glanced at her, surprise apparent on his features.

Amaya rubbed her neck sheepishly and Feng could see her blush deepening as she grew more flustered. Lu Ten glared at him and sat down beside her.

A few minutes passed in silence and Amaya had, by now, noticed the wide array of glances that her two companions were throwing at each other, her eyebrows rising each time.

"So, Lu Ten, where do you know Amaya from?" He asked nonchalantly.

Lu Ten and Amaya glanced at each other before hastily looking away. "Around." She mumbled.

"I was drunk and we made out." Lu Ten said smoothly.

The mortification only intensified and Amaya felt the sudden urge to hide under the table, just to escape Feng's laughing eyes. She stared icily at Lu Ten but he was staring at Feng with a light smirk on his lips.

Not able to take any more, she stood up with a strained smile. "I'll be right back." She said quietly and without waiting for a reply, swiftly made her way to the bar.

The two boys immediately turned to each other. "I thought I told you to stay there." Lu Ten hissed.

"You did, that doesn't mean I'll listen to you." He said.

"You bastard, stop messing with me. You didn't tell me you knew her." Lu Ten said hurriedly.

"Yeah, well. I didn't know who you were talking about in the first place."

"Yes, you did, you liar. If you didn't know who I was talking about then how come you're here." Lu Ten snapped.

"I suspected it was her but I wasn't sure. I just came to check." He said. When Lu Ten looked unconvinced he continued. "Look, we've been friends for a long time.I missed her, alright. She knows that I'm into shady business but she never says anything about it, even though she disapproves. If she knew what I was doing, it'd break her heart. Please don't tell her that we know each other. She might get curious." He said.

Lu Ten's expression softened and he nodded firmly just as Amaya returned with three drinks, looking much less embarrassed. "You've lost your manners, Feng. Before, at least, you brought the drinks." She said teasingly.

"That would actually count if I had any manners in the first place." He said with a grin.

Amaya smiled wryly as she sipped her drink half-heartedly, her gaze fixed onto a random point on the table. Lu Ten took the opportunity to study her. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles, her lips curved into a little frown. Her shoulders were hunched tiredly and he glanced uncertainly at Feng who was gazing worriedly at her.

"What have you been doing to yourself?" Feng asked incredulously.

"Working." She mumbled, carefully averting her eyes from his.

Feng rolled his eyes at the pathetic lie and pressed on. "I thought you worked in a tea shop." He said.

She glared at him and hesitantly replied. "Lots of customers."

"I'm sure there are. Seeing as its swelteringly hot nowadays and the only thing that the people can even think about is tea." He said sarcastically.

Amaya looked at him with narrowed eyes, her lips set into a straight line and he could see that she was becoming increasingly irritated. "What have you been doing, then?" She snapped.

"I told you I've been working nowadays." Feng replied with a sidelong glance at Lu Ten, who raised his eyebrows.

"Well, since you don't tell me what you do, I don't see any reason to tell you what I do." She said bitingly.

"Wow, your boss must really be driving you insane." He said lightly.

"Yes, he is." She said stiffly. Amaya downed her whole drink in one go and pushed three gold coins onto the table. "Well, I'm off." She said, hurriedly standing up.

"Hey! We just got here." Feng protested.

"Yeah, well, I have to go home." She said flatly.

Feng scowled but sat back, glaring at her as she walked away. As soon as she exited the bar, he stood up. "Come on."

"Hey, I give the orders around here." Lu Ten said.

"Shut up. I want to see what's wrong with her." He said.

"Fine." He grumbled.

Lu Ten pushed back his chair and stood up, sliding his empty glass onto the table. He followed Feng out of the bar and into the warm evening, his gaze scouring the area for any sign of Amaya. The two of them had to walk a few steps forward before they caught a glimpse of her black robe. At once, Feng hurried onwards, his steps swift yet silent on the cobblestone street.

The pair followed Amaya as she turned a corner and assuredly made her way into a more quieter part of the Middle Ring, far away from all the markets, and dingy little buildings that were alive with activity at this time of the day.

Feng and Lu Ten exchanged a glance as Amaya began to make her way towards a lone building in the eastern part of the city. The structure loomed high in the darkness, accompanied in the silence by a large lake that stretched several hundred feet away from them. She roughly pushed open the door that led into the building and began to climb the steps that led up to the roof.

"What is she doing?" Lu Ten breathed as they saw her appear on the rooftop of the building. The two of them slunk into the shadows of a tree while glancing worriedly at the precarious drop down to the ground.

There was silence for a few minutes before amused comprehension dawned on Feng's face. "Thinking spot." He said humorously, confidently making his way into the abandoned building and quietly stepping up the stairs. Lu Ten followed, his brow furrowed in slight confusion, and in a few minutes they were at the very top of the building mere feet away from Amaya who had, by now, seated herself on the very edge of the roof, her legs dangling over the side.

She heard the slight creaking of the old roof tiling and exhaled sharply. "Go away, Feng." She said bitingly.

Lu Ten stepped up to the shorter boy and pulled him forward so that he could whisper into his ear. "She obviously doesn't want to see you. Let me talk to her." He said.

Feng shrugged and turned away from Lu Ten to jump carelessly off the roof . Lu Ten glanced in alarm over the side only to see him clinging to the very edge of the roof. He held on for a moment longer before letting go and landing onto a ledge that stuck out from the side of the building.

Lu Ten rolled his eyes at Feng's showiness and turned towards Amaya. "It's me." He said quietly.

"Oh." She drawled disappointedly.

"What's up?" He asked casually, seating himself beside her.

Amaya turned away, her brow furrowed in annoyance as she crossed her arms. "Amaya?" He said tentatively.

When she continued to look away, Lu Ten sighed and slid towards her. "What's wrong?" He asked, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Feng." She murmured through gritted teeth.

"What about him?" He coaxed gently.

The silence stretched on for a few moments before her head snapped towards him and Lu Ten could see her eyes burning with unbridled emotion. "Everything. It's everything about him. I just don't get why he does whatever it is that he does. He struts around like he knows whats best for him but why can't he see that I'm worried about him. Sure, he's an orphan but that doesn't give him the right to go around thieving from other people. But that's only what I know he does. Why doesn't he see that his _business associates_ will kill him in the blink of an eye if the need arises?" She said angrily. "Well, I'll show him, what do I care? He can go and get himself killed, for all I care."

Everything slowly began to fall in place and Lu Ten sighed dejectedly as he finally understood why Feng was so desperate that Amaya not find out about his fraternization with the Fire Nation. "You don't mean that." He said quietly.

"Yes, I most certainly do." She snapped defiantly.

"No, you don't." He said more forcefully. "Because you love him like a brother. I know you do. And you're worried about him. That's completely natural. But maybe you've got to understand, Amaya. I don't know where you come from but I do know that you're life is a lot better than Feng's. I can tell by the way you speak, by the way you walk that you're educated and high-born. But it's obviously not the same for him. He has to scavenge." He said quietly.

Amaya looked up at him in surprise, slightly perturbed by his observance. Lu Ten returned her gaze with a slight smile on his face, and as she nodded uncertainly, his expression widened into a grin.

Unbeknownst to Amaya and Lu Ten, Feng sat on a ledge directly underneath them, his expression completely sombre as he gazed straight ahead. Then slowly, the smallest of smiles dawned on his lips.

Maybe Lu Ten wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

_Okay, so when I began this chapter, I intended for it to include some more romance but that obviously didn't happen. So instead, I decided to add a marginally humorous aspect to this story which comes in the form of Feng and Lu Ten's relationship.  
While I am pretty pleased with this chapter, do excuse the slightly boring parts which may occur every now and then :]_

_And review__!  
If the underline isn't prompting enough, think of it in this way.  
You're encouraging a kid like me, to become a better writer :P _

_-Jade_


	4. Part IV: Ignite My Senses

**Chapter Rating: **T

* * *

**Part IV  
****Ignite My Senses**

_Private Chamber - Earth Kingdom Palace_

The room was underground and it's walls made of crude, misshapen rock; a mixture of earthy colors and sharp structures that jutted out of the wall. The room had been there for more than a century but no one had ever paid attention to the ragged edges of the wall. They were instead, carefully concealed by rich hangings, tasteful tapestries and portraits of previous Earth Kings. On the eastern wall stood the largest portrait, that of the very 1st Earth King and to his right a smaller one of the 2nd Earth King. Beside him hung the face of the 3rd King and after that the cycle continued. Some were green-eyed, others brown-eyed; their skin tones differed and so did their expressions but in the background of every single painting hung the Earth Kingdom insignia.

The portraits wove throughout the entire width of the room until they reached the 50th Earth King. Right next to his painting, stood a large throne and on that sat Xiang. He was accompanied by Amaya who was clad in her royal robes of deep green, her hair pulled up into a tight bun at the top of her head with a few strands framing her grey eyes. She looked completely relaxed where as Xiang was tight-lipped, his hard gaze fixed on the door which stood several feet away from them. Every now and then, Xiang would fidget and Amaya would murmur words of encouragement which he would then blatantly ignore.

Amaya breathed in the cooler, damper air of the underground room and let her gaze follow Xiang's. The two of them stared somberly at the door until finally, a deep rumble reached their ears and the door was earth bended open. Amaya saw Xiang stiffen as a lone man entered the room and bowed to the two.

"The visitors have arrived, highness." He said quietly, his voice ringing through the vast room. Xiang nodded firmly and spoke. "Send them in."

The man nodded and then hurried out. A few moments passed and then men began to stream into the room. First there were ten but more continued to enter until the numbers had increased to almost thirty. They formed two rows in the middle of the room and then simultaneously bowed.

The silence stretched on for a few moments and then Xiang stood up, his gaze sweeping the room. "Greetings, my subjects." He began in his clear voice; the voice that not three nights ago had sounded so vulnerable and helpless was now infused with imperialism. And suddenly Amaya mused, Xiang, the young man, barely even thirty years of age, seemed like the perfect leader. His very demeanor commanded respect and his voice was fearless as he spoke to men twice his age and size.

"I have summoned you here so that you could have a chance to defend your nation against the ruthless forces of the tyrants that threaten the peace of our metropolis. We are all aware that what goes on in this room is, in a way, conspiracy. The Earth Kingdom, by law, forbids me from threatening the lives of innocents and incorporating the talents of citizens into the military, no matter how determined they may be." Xiang said calmly. No one moved a limb and the only sound in the room was that of the men's breathing.

"You have honored my call but now I honor my nation." He said quietly and his grave tone prompted Amaya to look up at him. "All of you are to take the men you have brought here back to your towns and villages. I and the princess acknowledge your bravery and trepidation and never forget, that you have the gratitude of the Earth Kingdom." Xiang said firmly.

Amaya's head snapped up and her brow furrowed with confusion as she stared at Xiang. He, on the other hand, looked unperturbed and tactfully looked away from her and to the men who knelt in front of him. "You are invited to stay in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se for a month." He said.

"After that, may the spirits grant you safe return." Xiang finished dismissively and the men promptly stood. They left the room one by one, all so blissfully unaware of the fuming princess who stood beside the throne. As soon as the last of the men had exited, she herself earth bended the door shut with a loud thud.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked angrily.

"The right thing." He answered firmly. "You may enjoy conspiring in the shadows, Amaya, but I will not go against the oath I took on the day of my coronation. The Earth Kingdom will win this war, and it will win honorably." He said firmly.

"That decision may seem very venerable now, Xiang, but later it will come back to _destroy _you." She said venomously. Xiang defiantly looked up at her but remained silent; this only served to incense her even more.

"You speak of honor but does the oath tell you to let your nation fall into the hands of the enemy just because of a pledge that was written a hundred years ago. Those people never experienced war. They don't know the horrors that come with it. They didn't experience the sleepless nights that you do, Xiang, because they were never forced to sit on a throne all day while their people were ruthlessly murdered." She said and her voice rose with every syllable.

"Amaya." He said laboriously. "Please don't do this." Amaya opened her mouth to continue her little speech but fell silent when she saw the hollow pain in Xiang's eyes.

"Fine. But mark my words, Xiang. If the Fire Nation breaks through the Inner Wall, I will do what is necessary for Ba Sing Se to prevail." She said and quietly made her way towards the door. She earth bended it open and just before exiting, she turned to him and spoke.

"Even if that means defying the Earth King."

* * *

_An Orchard - The Middle Ring_

Amaya closed her eyes and breathed out, her fingers tightening around the picture clutched in her hand. Ever since the previous day, a sort of surrealism had settled over her. She hadn't heard from Xiang even once and while she was unsure if he was upset with her or not, Amaya herself was disappointed. She had allowed her hatred for the Fire Nation to overwhelm her and then had flung it at someone as undeserving as Xiang. Guilt ate away at her insides and her eyes stung with tears.

Amaya drew in a shaky breath and opened her eyes, her gaze flitting down to the picture clutched in her hand. It showed two people; a woman sat in the front, dark haired, dark eyed and beautiful. Behind her stood a man in robes of grass green, a pair of spectacles perched on his nose so that he looked adorably owlish. He had a small, immaculately trimmed beard with just the slightest streaks of white in it and had an imposing quality to him.

_I''ll never let it happen again._

Amaya silently vowed to her parents and exhaled sharply as a twig snapped behind her. "Who's that?" A quiet voice said and a smile dawned on her face at the sound. "My parents." She answered fondly, as Lu Ten took a seat beside her.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"How did you..." Amaya began but trailed off as Lu Ten reached up and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

She did not dare to breath, afraid that the slightest of movements might shatter the sudden moment of intimacy. Amaya slowly looked up, her gaze locking with Lu Ten's. And then gold met grey with such an intensity that she inhaled sharply.

"We never did get to the end of that kiss, the other day." He breathed huskily and his warm breath ghosted on her cheek. Amaya's first instinct was to flatten herself against the tree in an attempt to get away from him. But instead, she found herself hopelessly freezing in place.

Lu Ten chuckled quietly as he saw the blind panic in her eyes and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Calm down. I'm not going to molest you, you know." He murmured against her skin. That hardly did anything to console her and with a wry smile, Lu Ten leaned away. A chain on his neck glinted as the moonlight bounced off it but she did not pay it any attention.

Amaya breathed out; from relief or disappointment, she wasn't sure. She could sense Lu Ten's chagrin at being rejected twice now but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. How he made her head spin and her breath catch in her throat. His scent and the intensity of his eyes, it was too much of a sensory overload for her. But in the bar, back at the roof and now here. Slowly, but surely, it was becoming harder and harder to pull away.

Amaya shyly raised her eyes to look at him, only to see that he hadn't been discouraged and was looking avidly at her. _God, stop being such a prude._

And it was that one thought that posed as such a challenge to her, that her eyes brightened with determination. Lu Ten's gaze landed on her expression and in that one instant, something passed between them. They moved forward in unison and he claimed her lips with a ferocity. Amaya returned the motion with fervor, her hands tangling themselves in his hair as she shifted to face him.

Lu Ten's hand slipped down to the small of her back and he pulled her to him, their bodies pressed flush together in a way that aroused Amaya to no extent. Her erratic heartbeat thumped in her ears as Lu Ten's tongue nudged against her lips and his hands slowly began to explore her body.

It was the hesitation in his motions, the subtle need for permission that made her want to pull him even closer if such a thing was possible.

Lu Ten's hands lingered on her hip and he gently pushed her to the ground as he placed a light kiss on the corner of her mouth. Amaya reached up to lightly graze his cheek and as her fingers brushed across his face, Lu Ten reached up and brought her hand to his mouth, lightly pressing his lips to it.

Her chest rose and fell as her heart beat erratically but her eyes were alight with happiness as she gazed into Lu Ten's intense ones.

She didn't know how long the two stared into each other's eyes, bathed in the white moonlight, and breathing hard. Amaya just knew that by the time Lu Ten had pulled away to sit up straight, she had calmed down even though her cheeks were flushed with color. Judging from his expression, he was just as dazed as she felt but there was something else in his eyes, something that she couldn't quite place.

As he laid down beside her, the silence stretched on and his hand slowly grazed her forearm before he intertwined his fingers with hers. But his expression swam in front of her eyes, permanently burned into her mind and refusing to dissipate.

Amaya did not dare to think it but the thought ruthlessly pushed itself into his mind and then only one word registered to her, along with the most vague feelings of hurt.

Had it been _regret _in his eyes?

* * *

_Short, I know, but I fully intend for the next chapter to be longer.  
Enjoy and Review!_


	5. Part V: The Moon and The Fire

**Chapter Rating: **K+

* * *

**Part V  
The Moon and The Fire**

_Fire Nation Base - Wasteland between Inner and Outer Wall_

Lu Ten gritted his teeth and nudged Feng aside as he peeked over his shoulder, the young boy's curious eyes scouring the plans laid out on Iroh's table. Said general was busy making tea as his son pored over the strategic charts while battling silently with Feng who was determined to get a look.

Feng suddenly stomped his foot on the ground and shifted the ground underneath the prince. Lu Ten, losing his balance, toppled to the side and Feng pounced at the table, his eyes carefully studying the parchment. Infuriated, Lu Ten stood up and was just about to push Feng aside when Iroh turned around and came to his table, balancing a tray in his hand. With a respectful smile, Lu Ten took it from his father and allowed him to settle in comfortably before placing it in front of him on the table.

"So, what do you propose we do, General?" Feng asked with raised eyebrows.

"The _Fire Nation_ is leading this attack, not you." Lu Ten said through gritted teeth.

"Lu Ten." Iroh said absentmindedly as his eyes roved over the parchment and Lu Ten fell silent. The general suddenly looked up with tired eyes and sat back in his chair. "This time, we will be utilizing your help but only scarcely." He said purposefully. "You will deliver the first weakening blow and then our workers will work on it. After they are finished, you will deliver the final blow."

"But why?" Feng asked with a frown.

"What do you suppose _you _would do, if one of your own very powerful benders turned against you to assist the enemy?" Iroh said reasonably. "Would you let him help them?" He said and then paused. "Or would you kill him?"

"I understand that. But if I help you, then you could penetrate the wall much faster." Feng argued.

Iroh remained silent and then turned to Lu Ten. "I will leave you to convince him, Lu Ten. Now, excuse me." He said and let his gaze slide down to his table. That was the end of it and with a scowl, Lu Ten turned around and led Feng out of the tent.

As soon as they had moved into a more secluded area of the base, the prince turned on him, his face contorted with rage. "Don't you ever dare to argue with my father, _ever_. He's the strategist and you're the mercenary. So shut up and do your job." He said venomously.

"The only thing I'm worried about is my money and I want it as fast as possible, so I'll thank you not to meddle in my business."

"Whats your business is my business. You work for me now."

"No, I don't. I work for the Fire Nation."

"And I'm the prince." Lu Ten said loudly.

"Yeah, right." Feng scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "Some prince you are. Slinking around in the dead of the night and meeting with Amaya. You could be charged for treason. Then what'd happen to your pretty little crown?" He said in a mock sweet voice, as he flicked the royal headpiece on Lu Ten's head.

He sensed something rip through the prince and next second, his hand was in a death grip and he was pushed up against the wall. "Don't patronize me." He said. "You talk to me about treason like you're the biggest patriot. You're a traitor." He hissed through his teeth.

"You're just as much of a traitor as I am." Feng spat out. "And you're delving deep into something that is going to come back and destroy you."

"What's it to you? It's me I'm going to be destroying." Lu Ten said as he released Feng and took a step back.

"No, it's not. You'll be destroying her too. You don't know Amaya and you don't know what she'll be feeling now that she thinks she's got your attention. All her life, she's been alienated from boys, preserved like some sort of artifact so that she'll be _chaste and innocent _at the time of her betrothal." He said, sarcastically emphasizing the words. "It's all the pigheadedness and arrogance that comes along with aristocracy. Not to mention, the backward traditions." Feng explained.

"What do you mean betrothal?" Lu Ten asked, his eyes widening.

"She didn't tell you." Feng said in amusement but his expression softened as he saw Lu Ten's expression. "Of course, she didn't."

"What? What is it? Just tell me." Lu Ten asked exasperatedly.

"Lu Ten, she's engaged."

The silence that followed was one of the most deadly ones Feng had ever experienced and he watched sadly as Lu Ten turned away, his breathing shallow and his eyes troubled. "No." He breathed and paced back and forth in front of Feng, running his hands through his hair in his frustration and knocking his headpiece askew.

"I'm sorry." Feng said apologetically.

Lu Ten's head snapped up and his chest rose with indignation as he glared at Feng. "NO!" He yelled and his voice broke.

The prince sank to the ground in despair, his back resting against a post as he stared unseeingly at the ground. "Who?" Lu Ten said shakily.

"He's the prince of Omashu. They're to be married as soon as the siege ends." Feng answered quietly.

"Damn it." Lu Ten sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back.

"Wow, you must really like her." He said with a wry smile before something occured to him and he looked at Lu Ten. "_Please_ tell me you didn't sleep with her." Feng said worriedly.

"What? Of course not." Lu Ten said incredulously.

"God, don't act so surprised. We both know you want to." Feng said with a grin.

"No, I do not." Lu Ten said defiantly, kicking the other boy in the shin. "In the Fire Nation, you're taught to _respect _women."

"OW!" Feng said and a colorful torrent of swearwords followed the proclamation.

"That's charming. Now shut up and sit." Lu Ten said, despite the smile that was tugging at his lips.

With a _hmph_, Feng obliged and seated himself beside Lu Ten. "So, tell me more about this guy." He said.

Feng made a mock hurt expression and pretended to wipe away a tear. "And here I thought you wanted to talk to poor old_ me_." He said teasingly and Lu Ten rolled his eyes, causing Feng to laugh.

"Well, his name is Takeshi. I'm sure that even you've heard of him. A real tough warrior and all that. Amaya's brother Xiang set her up with him, he felt that she had to carry on the bloodline." Feng said absentmindedly.

"Oh Agni." Lu Ten said in shock as his eyes widened and his tone prompted Feng to glance at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Don't you know?" Lu Ten asked in exasperation but when Feng remained clueless, he elaborated.

"Prince Takeshi of Omashu is betrothed to the princess of the Earth Kingdom."

* * *

_Earth King's Study - Royal Palace_

"Xiang, calm down. We're prepared." Amaya said.

"I know that!" He snapped irritably.

A second passed and then he threw down his quill in exasperation. "Sorry!" He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Amaya ruffled his hair with a strained smile and he looked up again. "It'll be okay, Xiang. The battle plans are set, the soldiers are ready and the archers have been training for days. Trust me. We're prepared."

"Yeah, well we thought the same before the earth bender turned up." He said with a frown.

"Look, Xiang. Mercenaries are everywhere. And this is a war, there is no way we're going to make it through this without any casualties." Amaya said reasonably.

"Fine." He said with a sigh even though he seemed unconvinced.

"Good, now I'm going to bed and you should do the same." She said and made her way to the door. Amaya stepped out and smiled at Xiang before shutting the door behind her. As the door clicked shut, Xiang relaxed into his chair and closed his eyes. Several seconds passed and he felt himself dozing off before he heard the slight creak of a window opening. His eyes snapped open just as all the candles in the room flickered and then went out.

"Your highness." A voice drifted in through the darkness and Xiang saw the silhouette of a figure leaning against the wall. The only light in the room was that of the moon which was flitting in through the window. "I would've thought, that in times like these, at least, you would have better security." The voice said and he realized that it was a woman.

Xiang's hand discreetly slipped to the knife concealed under his robes but the woman only laughed. "Don't bother." She said, her voice laced with humor. "Now, let's get down to business." She said and the candle on Xiang's desk burst into life. In the candlelight, he saw that the woman was dressed completely in black, half of her face covered with a mask of the same color.

A shinobi.

She stepped further into the circle of light and he saw that she had green eyes and dark hair. "I've killed many people, your majesty, but never a king."

The silence stretched on and then suddenly, she stepped forward and in one swift motion, a blowtorch like flame sprung from her hand. "Such a pity." She breathed and then plunged it into his chest. As suddenly as it had all begun, it ended and she disappeared out the window.

And then, as the blood soaked through his robes, dripping slowly onto the ground, and the life drained from his eyes, the only onlookers were the moon and the fire.

_

* * *

_

_"Princess, wake up. Wake up!" The servant said hurriedly, practically shoving Amaya off the bed._

_Amaya groggily sat up and glared at the servant-girl as she saw that the sun hadn't even risen yet. "__What?" She snapped irritably._

_"Highness, Earth King Xiang is dead."_

The conversation played itself in Amaya's head again and again as she looked at the scene in front of her. She could already feel the tears stinging her eyes and they spilled onto her cheeks as she stared at Xiang's lifeless form resting on the examiner's table. "How?"

"He was murdered, princess. The charred flesh around the wound indicates that this was done by a fire bender. The fire jet was wide, wide enough to pierce both the left and right ventricles. There was no sign of a struggle, which leads us to believe that perhaps he was sleeping." He said solemnly.

"I see." She said shakily and then turned away, hurriedly exiting the room to escape the stench. She breathed in and out for several minutes before purposefully beginning to walk towards Long Feng's study.

As she flung open the door, he stood up, his face carefully arranged into a solemn expression. "Princess. I extend to you my deepest condolences." He said quietly.

"Thank you, Long Feng." She said and closed the door behind her.

"Please, sit. I will prepare some tea for us." He said.

"That won't be necessary. I would just like a quick word." She said and he stopped at the stiffness of her voice.

"As you wish, your highness." He said and led her out onto the balcony. Long Feng pulled out a chair for her and she sat with an acknowledging nod. He walked around the table and seated himself across from her.

"I will be my brother's successor." She said without any preface.

Long Feng looked shrewdly at her before speaking. "I am afraid that is impossible, princess. The throne has never, in more than a hundred years, been handed to a woman."

"Yes, well. Now it will be." She said flatly.

"There are traditions to honor, my lady. This is not a job for a woman." Long Feng said firmly.

"I did not come here to ask you for permission, Long Feng. I came here to warn you."

"Warn me, my lady? Of what?" He said, the slightest hints of disdain seeping into his voice.

"That I will take the throne, no matter what. The duty presented to my brother is far greater than what a boy of his age can handle." She said.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that to happen."

"Oh, but after you hear what I have to say...you will."

* * *

_Fire Nation Base - Inner Wall_

"There has been a change of plans." Lu Ten said to Feng.

"Really?" The latter said as he picked dirt from his fingernails.

"Yes, come with me." He said and began to walk purposefully towards the wall.

Feng quietly followed him, his brow furrowed in confusion as they stepped closer to it, ignoring the Fire Nation Soldiers who stood in a group at one side. As the two reached the Inner Wall, Lu Ten stepped aside and gestured at it.

"All yours." He said.

"Wait, what?" Feng asked in puzzlement.

"My father says that now the Earth King is dead, the nation will be in chaos. They'll be so busy preparing for the funeral and crowning the prince that we can break through in one swift motion while they're distracted." Lu Ten explained.

A smile dawned on Feng's face and he turned to the wall. "Let's do this, then." He said as he slipped off his shirt.

"Show off." Lu Ten said with a roll of his eyes and then turned away to go back to his tent.

"Hey, Lu Ten." Feng called and the prince glanced at him expectantly.

Lu Ten never did find out what it was that Feng had to say for at that precise moment, when the prince glanced back and their eyes met, an arrow shot out of nowhere and buried itself into the boy's chest. He didn't even realize it but he had stepped forward, his eyes widening as he watched Feng's body jerk with the shock and then begin to fall forward. He didn't register the intense war cry that went up, nor did he feel the heat haze as a fireball flew mere inches past him, he couldn't hear anything-feel anything, as he watched Feng topple forward like a rag-doll.

_Thump._

The sound of Feng's body hitting the ground wrenched Lu Ten out of his horrified reverie and he scrambled forward, crouching beside the boy. All differences between prince and peasant forgotten, Lu Ten pulled the gasping boy into his lap and stared down at him in shock.

"God, that hurts." Feng said jokingly, even though his voice was laced with pain, his eyes clouded with anguish. Lu Ten looked down at the arrow in stiff shock and his eyes hardened as they drifted up to the green feathers symbolizing the Earth Kingdom insignia.

"Who would've thought?" Feng managed to breath out, jerking his head towards Lu Ten's face.

Lu Ten uncertainly grazed his own cheek and drew back in shock as he realized that it was wet with tears. "You're a good friend, Lu Ten. Take care of her for me." He sighed.

And all Lu Ten could do was watch as Feng's face paled and his breathing shallowed. He did nothing as the boy grew heavier in his arms, and his head lolled back. And he didn't do anything as his lifeless eyes stared up the sky.

* * *

_:'[ Wah, it was so hard to kill off Feng because he was my favorite character but *sigh* had to be done. All in all, though, I think this chapter turned out pretty good and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_Also, I think this was eventful enough and a quick update, so compensation for last chapter is...done!_

_Well, 5 chapters and 1 review; a little dispiriting but I refuse to give up, lol.  
So: Reviews would be **greatly **appreciated._

_-Jade258 _


	6. Part VI: Fortune's Fool

**Chapter Rating: **T

* * *

**Part VI  
Fortune's Fool**

Amaya's kohl-rimmed eyes stared right back at her, her red-coated lips set in a straight line and her gray eyes hard. She watched herself in the mirror, her face masked by so much make-up that she was starting to feel queasy. However, nothing could mar her satisfaction for not an hour ago, she had made history. She was the first ever Earth Queen, the most powerful woman in the Earth Kingdom. For now, her plans were going well but Kuei, she knew, would be a problem. Just as he popped into her mind, the door swung open and he entered, his owlish spectacles perched on his nose and rather ruining his attempt at looking imposing.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?" He practically yelled as he slammed the door behind him. Amaya's lips curved into a wry smile as she realized that this was the first time she had heard her bookish brother raise his voice.

Amaya removed the tiara from her head and placed it on the dresser before turning to face Kuei. "I'm protecting you."

"Protecting me? Yeah, right. From what?" He said loudly.

"I've done you a favor, Kuei. Don't be so ungrateful."

"No! I will be ungrateful. Because you robbed me of my birthright!" He yelled, enraged.

"I did what needed to be done."

"You betrayed me. Everyone thinks that you're just a sweet little girl, maybe a little reckless, demanding but charming." Kuei scoffed. "Yeah right. You're nothing but a conniving bitch."

Amaya drew back in shock and then her eyes hardened with anger. "You idiot. Do you think that you could have handled this? You know nothing of the responsibilities that come along with ruling a nation like ours. I watched Xiang and I know everything that there is to know about ruling Ba Sing Se. I know things that even your books can't teach you."

"Regardless, the throne is _mine _and I won't let you steal it from me." Kuei said.

"I've already taken it." She said quietly and a long silence ensued.

Amaya sat down and calmly began to wipe the make up from her face, Kuei's angry gaze and her nonchalant one meeting through the mirror.

"Fine." Amaya said suddenly as she set down the cloth. "You want the throne, Kuei? I'll give it to you. But on my conditions."

When he remained silent, she continued. "Let me rule for three months and then everything is yours. The throne, the palace, everything. Even Xiang's possessions." Amaya said.

"Why three months?"

Amaya's hand knocked against a bottle and it fell with a clatter as she stood up. "Do you want it or not?" She asked icily.

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then, you will ask no questions. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes."

* * *

_Inn Room - The Middle Ring_

Amaya looked at the bottle in her hand with a bored expression on her face. The contents swirled and splashed inside it as she nonchalantly rolled it around on the floor.

Beside her, Lu Ten watched her movements shrewdly, every fiber of his being wanting to burst out and ask her about Takeshi. But for now, he had refrained and was instead distracting himself by looking at her as she downed the alcohol.

As she set aside the bottle once more, Amaya noticed Lu Ten's gaze on her and shot him a funny look. "What?"

"Nothing." He said vaguely.

"No, tell me." Amaya said with a smile as her fingers fiddled with his hair. When he remained silent, she rolled her eyes and leaned closer to him. "Fine." She said and pressed her lips to his neck as she inhaled his scent.

As he did not react, Amaya eagerly continued with her ministrations, determined to get some sort of acknowledgement. She felt his muscles relaxing, then tensing again as she nipped lightly at his skin. As he turned to face her, she smiled playfully and moved to kiss him but stopped at the expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" She sighed into his ear, her fingers lightly grazing his cheekbone as her gray eyes looked worriedly up at him.

Lu Ten looked positively enraged at the seemingly innocent question and stood up at once. His expression hardened and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. As he turned to the wall, Amaya heard him breath heavily before turning to her again.

"You're playing with me, aren't you, Amaya?" He said through gritted teeth.

Amaya blanched and stared at him in utter incredulity. "What?"

"God, don't play dumb with me. I know you're engaged." He said.

Amaya stiffened and he saw something flash across her face. "Who told you?" She said, her eyes clouding over with anger.

When Lu Ten remained silent and and averted his eyes, she stepped forward. "Who told you?" She repeated, much louder this time. As his gaze locked with hers, comprehension dawned on her face and she nodded angrily. "I can't believe this. Who the hell gave you the right to ask him about that?"

"Hey! You're the one who didn't tell me and now you're reprimanding me. _That _is unbelievable." He said, practically yelling now.

"That was my business and you had no right to interfere."

"No, Amaya, I did. Because if you happen to go around making out with some guy's fiancée, it doesn't end too well."

"God, you are so vain. I would've told you in time so you didn't have to go around asking Feng." She yelled.

"I had-" He began but she loudly cut him off.

"If you'd asked me, instead of accusing me, I would've told you but-"

"Oh right. And how was I supposed to know if I hadn't asked Feng?" He blatantly interjected.

"You weren't but you should have trusted that I would have told you!" Amaya said exasperatedly.

"Would you have? Really?" He yelled sarcastically.

"Yes." She burst out angrily.

"Yeah, right." He said and turned away.

Amaya stomped over to him, her face contorting with rage as she spun him around and slammed him against the wall with strength that surprised even her. "To think that I wouldn't have told you isn't just downright stupid, it's insulting so stop, just stop." She hissed angrily.

For a second, Lu Ten looked surprised at being pinned to a wall by someone a head shorter than him but then something flashed across his face and he pulled Amaya into a searing kiss. He swiftly switched their positions so that he was the one pushing her up against the wall as he viciously attacked her lips.

He ran one hand wildly through her hair while the other went to rest on her neck and pull her closer. Unusual sensations coursed through Amaya's body as Lu Ten deepened the kiss and she mused that while the first kiss may have been gentle, this one was the farthest thing from it. It was animalistic and needy; as if all sorts of unbridled passion had been infused into it.

By the time Lu Ten finally reached down to loosen the sash on her robes, her body was on fire and she was panting with desire. She blindly reached down to the buttons of his shirt and made quick work of them before slowly beginning to nudge him over to the bed. Refusing to break the kiss, Lu Ten nipped at her neck, kissing and licking as she dropped his shirt to the floor.

Amaya felt her breath catch in her throat as he lowered her onto the bed, finally breaking away and moving to pay attention to the rest of her burning body.

* * *

_Throne Room - Royal Palace_

"Your majesty, a royal messenger has just arrived. He insists on seeing you in private."

"Very well, send him here and clear out." Amaya said warily.

As everyone in the throne room began to shuffle out, a middle-aged man dressed in green and gold robes entered the Throne Room. The doors were swung shut and he walked to the middle of the room.

"I'm afraid I do not bring good news, highness." He said gravely. When she remained silent, he continued.

"The Fire Nation has broken through the Inner Wall."

* * *

_Royal Palace Main Building_

Amaya gazed intently at the huge hole in the Inner Wall that was prominent even from the Palace and she nodded firmly as she stared at it.

"Your report, General?"

"We have dispatched aid workers to the Lower Ring in advance to prepare for the battle, highness. Our forces have begun to move out but I fear that they will not be enough for the Fire Nation has already received reinforcements. Both sides are assembling the army as we speak but the earth benders are dwindling in numbers." He trailed off uncertainly as if asking to reveal more of the bad news but Amaya stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"Very well, General but what you should be doing is evacuating the Agrarian Zone and the outskirts of the Lower Ring. Those are innocent citizens and they will panic once the Fire Nation makes their move. You will assign five earth benders and they will work day and night to make accommodation for those that come to the Middle Ring seeking refuge." She said, her shrewd gaze still fixed on the distant Inner Wall.

"Very well, your highness."

"Oh and one more thing, General." She said quietly.

"Yes, my lady?"

"There is a large inn in the Upper Ring where you will find almost thirty representatives of numerous villages from around the nation. Along with them, there will be more than fifty earth benders. You will bring them here and debrief them. Then you will send them to me."

"With all due respect, my lady, why not send them with the rest of the army?"

"Well..." She said as she turned around to face him and he was surprised to see that she was smiling.

"They and I have a special task to perform."

* * *

_Fire Nation Base - Inner Wall_

With each passing minute, Lu Ten was growing more and more uncomfortable. Emotions warred inside him, one part of him trying to convince him that if he tried to warn Amaya now, that would be considered treason but if he didn't, the Fire Nation would probably hold her prisoner forever. His father's frequent comments did nothing to console him either.

"Why so dull, son? We have made history!" Iroh said proudly as the two examined the huge hole in the Inner Wall in front of them. "There is no reason to doubt our strength, Lu Ten." Iroh said assuredly, misinterpreting his son's pained expression. "We will burn Ba Sing Se to the ground." He said with a hearty chuckle.

"Certainly, father." Lu Ten said with a hollow laugh. And just as the words left his mouth, he reached the decision that would shape his destiny.

* * *

Amaya stared at the message clutched in her hand, frantically reading and rereading it as her curiosity grew.

_The Inn. At Midnight.  
It's urgent._

She had a good idea as to who it was and despite the fact that there was no name at the bottom, she still stuffed it into the incense burner and silently watched the edges of the parchment blacken and then curl in on themselves.

* * *

Five hours had passed since night had fallen over Ba Sing Se and the Fire Nation Base was silent and still. Everyone was asleep, resting themselves for the battle that was to come in the morning. The moonlight cast eerie shadows onto the ground, each and every one of them still. Well, except for one.

It moved swiftly through the darkness and maneuvered its way between the tents with ease. The person avoided knocking over little objects with barely centimeters between his foot and the object. And he remained undiscovered, even as he nimbly leaped into the hole in the wall and quietly landed on the other side, spraying little rocks into the air.

A little curse was heard and then Lu Ten continued through the darkness and towards the inn where he was to meet Amaya.

* * *

Amaya shot up just as the door to the bar swung open and a figure dressed completely in black entered. As he hurriedly grabbed her by the arm and led her up into a room, she knew that he was tense. His golden eyes darted about everywhere but as he slammed the door of the room behind them, he seemed to relax.

"Lu Ten?" She asked worriedly.

Without replying, he crashed his lips against hers in a kiss so desperate, it made her weak at the knees. As he drew back, she was shocked to see that his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" She asked firmly.

"Too many secrets. I can't take it anymore." He gasped out and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know who you are. But you don't know who I am."

Amaya opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. "No, please, just let me say this." He said and she shut up at the desperation in his voice.

"Once I'm done with this, I know you'll hate me but you have to know that every word I said, every gesture I made was so completely honest." He said and turned away.

"I know that you're the Earth Queen. But I suppose you knew that I knew since I knew that you were marrying Takeshi." He rambled nervously and then turned to face her. Amaya nodded gravely but did not say anything, allowing Lu Ten to continue.

"Didn't you ever wonder, Amaya? Where I lived? Why my eyes are golden? Where I disappeared to all the time?" He asked and sat down heavily on the bed.

"Well, yes, but what does this have to do with anything?" She asked cautiously.

"Unfortunately, it does. I'm the prince of the Fire Nation." He said.

Amaya shot Lu Ten a funny look and an uneasy laugh escaped her lips. "What? No, you're not." She said but the statement came out more like a question. Their eyes met and she gasped, her face paling as she stepped away. "I'm sorry. I knew who you were and I shouldn't have continued with this. I knew it was bound to end badly but I couldn't stop. You made me so happy and I know that I made you happy t-"

"No, you're not. You're not from the Fire Nation." She protested, shaking her head. Lu Ten reluctantly pushed aside his collar and pulled out his dog tag. He broke off the chain and walked over to Amaya, dropping it into her hand.

Amaya's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the insignia carved into it and then under it Lu Ten's name. That was all she needed and with a gasp, she let it slip from her fingers. She leaned warily against the wall and slid down to the floor, her head bowed.

"The other day, you asked me about Feng and I said that I didn't know." He continued hesitantly.

Amaya's head snapped up and she turned her head to look at him. "Where is he?" She said. "What have you done to him?"

"Feng was working with the Fire Nation, and helping us break through the wall. He was assassinated, not a week ago." He said hesitantly.

Amaya stared dumbly at him but as she registered his words, several things clicked into place.

_With the Fire Nation.  
Assassinated.  
A week ago._

"Oh my god. I killed him." She said, so shocked that she didn't even cry. "I killed my own best friend."

"What? No, you didn't, Amaya." Lu Ten said as he knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Amaya roughly pushed him away, her burning gaze locking with his. "You don't get it. I issued the order. To murder the earth bender who was assisting the Fire Nation."

"What?" He breathed but Amaya didn't say anything, instead, staring straight at the wall in front of them.

"This is so messed up." Amaya breathed to herself. She suddenly felt too tired to leave, too tired to cry and didn't even have the will power to tell Lu Ten to go to hell.

She reached for the dog tag but her hand halted a few centimeters from the chain, almost as if she was afraid of touching it. Lu Ten covered his hand with hers and she sadly looked up to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry." He said and pulled her to him.

And as they sat there, Amaya closed her eyes and slumped into his arms, feeling mentally exhausted. All of the emotions that she had held in for almost a fortnight came rushing back and hit her like a slap in the face. The grief of losing Xiang, the worrying about Feng and now knowing that he was dead, it was too much for her and the tears began to slide down her cheeks.

"I love you." He murmured and held her tight as she sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking.

* * *

_For any readers who prefer M-rated stuff, lol, sorry it didn't happen. I opted to guard my chastity :P  
__To **BlueEyesPrincess**: Amaya is Xiang's younger and Kuei's elder sister. Lol, and thank you :D_

_So! Scroll just a fraction lower and press that lovely blue button, if you please. Thanks xD_

_-Jade_


	7. Part VII: Gentle Sin

**Chapter Rating:** T

* * *

**Part VII  
Gentle Sin**

"Are you well, my lady?" The servant-girl asked worriedly as she stared at Amaya's red-rimmed eyes.

"Yes, I am." Amaya replied flatly and the girl hastily handed her the dossier which Long Feng had sent. With a respectful bow, she turned on her heel and left the study.

Amaya turned to the table and took a seat, placing the file in front of her and expressionlessly staring at the cover which read Feng Sasaki.

She sat there for several minutes, simply staring at the emblem of the Earth Kingdom on the cover, mustering up the courage to reach out and flip it open. Amaya squeezed her eyes shut and then with a firm nod, she turned the cover and exhaled sharply as she stared at a crude painting of Feng.

Over his face was a large seal in blood red which read _TREASON, _the words jumping out at her accusingly. Amaya felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at the familiar green of his eyes and the brown of his hair. She let out a shuddering breath and let her eyes slide down to the brief list of overall information.

_Physical Appearance...  
Life History...  
Skill Information...  
Next of Kin..._

A horrified gasp escaped Amaya's lips as she stared down at the name of his sister, smacking her forehead as she mentally screamed at herself. "How could I have forgotten?" She moaned.

Ryoko, Feng's sister, was only eleven years of age and Amaya worriedly wondered where she was, now that Feng hadn't been taking care of her for almost a fortnight now. She looked around frantically, as if expecting to see Ryoko there and hurriedly muttered to herself as she rummaged around in her drawers. Pulling out a quill and parchment, Amaya sat down and quickly scribbled the note.

_Hi, Ryoko! It's Amaya. _

_I know you don't know me very well but we've met once, if you remember. You're probably wondering where Feng is but don't worry, he's with me and I'll come and fetch you as soon as I can. Please, please, don't answer the door to any strange looking men in armor. If I don't come in a day, then make your way to the Middle Ring with the rest of the people fleeing the Lower Ring. Pack anything you have in advance._

_Take care._

Amaya reread it to make sure that it was as light-hearted as possible; the last thing she wanted was to make Ryoko suspicious. Satisfied, she stood up and made her way to the window, flinging it open. There was a pause and then she whistled sharply. Nothing happened for more than a minute, but then a bird with a magenta plume swept into sight and landed onto the windowsill. As Amaya was tying the note to the bird's leg, footsteps sounded outside her door and she hastily tightened the cord before practically throwing the bird out the window. Just as the bird took flight, the door was flung open and Amaya turned to it, ready to reprimand whoever it was for entering without permission.

But as she faced the person, the words died on her lips and she stared in shock at Takeshi. "My lady..." He said in a deep voice and bowed cordially.

She stared dumbly at him for a few seconds, before finally regaining her composure. "Prince Takeshi, this is an unexpected visit." Amaya said quietly.

"You sound disappointed." He said with a smile.

"No, not at all. It is merely...unfortunate that you had to see us in such unpleasant conditions." Amaya said with a strained smile.

"I am here to assist you in battle, my lady. But I have come alone. It is not easy to get through the barricades set up by both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation." He said apologetically. "Then again, it is not every day that a man gets to fight alongside his bride-to-be." Takeshi remarked with a proud grin.

"Indeed, my lord." Amaya said sweetly, even though her eyes hardened at his words and she struggled to keep her smile lasting.

* * *

As the sun rose over Ba Sing Se, Amaya felt sweat springing up on her forehead. The air was hot and humid and the sun beat down on her neck as she debriefed the earth benders lined in front of her.

"In an earth bending move as large as this one, simplicity is crucial. I am sure all of you understand that and so, our objective for today is very simple. Our infantry troops will drive back the Fire Nation soldiers and once there is a prominent gap between us and them, we will pull a large wall out of the earth and push them back in one blow.

"The wall will be raised in an allocated spot so that as we push it back, it will eventually cover up the gap in the Inner Wall. However, this will require precision and coordination. I will not tolerate any tardiness when it comes to the time of action and every one of our movements, down to the very thrusts of our hands will be simultaneous. For there will come a time during battle, when the very survival of your nation, will depend on _you. _Is that understood?" She said loudly and a loud chant went up into the air.

Satisfied, Amaya nodded firmly and diligently tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

The Fire Nation soldiers stretched in an almost never-ending line in front of Lu Ten and Iroh; a sea of black armor and fearful skull masks. They carried a wide array of weapons in their hands, ranging from maces to swords and battle axes. Behind them, stood more than fifteen armored tanks, manned on either side by fire benders wearing light armor.

It truly was a magnificent sight, one that made Lu Ten feel proud and queasy both at the same time. His Piandao sword was in its sheath, and he had donned his royal armor, his headpiece fitted firmly onto his topknot. Out of all the soldiers, he was the only one with an armor as extravagant as his but instead of making him feel confident, to him, it was just a form of estrangement.

* * *

Amaya and the rest of the earth benders waited on a cliff that they had pulled out of the earth. Almost a mile away from them, stretched the battle field, a scorching wasteland around which waited the opposing armies. All around her, the air was stiff with anticipation and dread, everyone thinking the same thought.

No city had ever opposed the Fire Nation and survived.

Amaya's breathing was shallow and every now and then, a trickle of sweat would run down the side of her face. The royal armor felt like a personal hell, the thick material first blocking out and then insulating the heat so that her vest clung to her body. But thankfully, her hair had been pulled up into a topknot and was nowhere near her damp neck. Her tiara sat in the desolate palace and the only thing that signified her importance was the fact that she alone, among the earth benders, wore armor with green trimmings.

Amaya breathed out and brushed away the sweat as she gazed at the battlefield and then let her eyes slide down to the distant crowd of people heading towards the Upper Ring to the camps set up for them.

Nervousness seemed to be stifling her as she thought of Lu Ten and hoped against hope that she would not have to face him down there. But before she could ponder any more on their horribly messed up situation, an earth bender spoke.

"It's beginning." He breathed and the whisper hung in the air as all of them stared avidly down at the Earth Kingdom army.

Amaya's heart crashed against her ribs and she was more afraid than she had ever been in her life. She clenched her eyes shut and thought of Feng, drawing courage and reassurance from him, the thought of his smirking face making her smile wanly.

_If only I could have helped you._

The blaring sound of a trumpet shattered the deadly silence and a barely audible voice cried _Charge!_ A fearful roar rose up into the air and like a wave, the two armies headed for each other. And in the instant when the two opposing sides clashed in a raging fury; Amaya knew that in that battlefield...

There was no mercy.

* * *

The air was thick with smoke, cries of pain and the stench of death plaguing the air. The very earth trembled beneath their feet as flames licked flesh and then a shadow loomed over the battlefield as an elevated piece of ground shot its way towards it.

The Fire Nation soldiers looked up in surprise but the Earth Kingdom soldiers ruthlessly began to drive them back, the sound of metal against metal rising up into the air. As they began to fall back, a fearful war cry went up and Amaya and the earth benders pulled up a towering wall of earth. Slowly, it began to advance on the soldiers, pushing them back while crushing some underneath it.

Blood splattered the ground and cries went up into the air, but not even that could cause Amaya to lose her focus as she commanded the earth.

* * *

"General!" A soldier cried out, hastily bowing down before straightening.

"Report?"

"Sir, I..." He said but trailed off nervously as he averted his gaze.

"What is it?" Iroh snapped impatiently.

The soldier seemed to struggle with himself for a few moments before purposefully looking up and replying. "General, Prince Lu Ten has been killed."

A few minutes passed and suddenly, the all-powerful general looked like nothing more than a wary old man. "General, the earth benders have unified and are using their combined powers to raise up a wall and push back our forces. What should we do?"

Silence ensued and a shocked Iroh stared at the battlefield before hesitantly opening his mouth and finally meeting the soldier's gaze as he hoarsely replied.

"Fall back."

* * *

Amaya and the earth benders moved their hands, the earth following their movements as it slid back before slamming into the soldiers with twice as much force than before. Her muscles strained as she pushed against the invisible force but despite her best efforts, the cry that went up next distracted her.

"_FALL BACK! FALL BACK!_" The Fire Nation soldier yelled and slowly the cry began to make its way through the ranks before reaching those who were still battling.

And then, slowly, very slowly, the Fire Nation soldiers turned and in a rush, they made their way back to the base. There was silence and then a cheer went up into the air, one so strong and loud that Amaya began to laugh joyfully as the earth benders around her stomped their feet on the ground while shouting boisterously. Thankfully removing her armor, Amaya let it drop to the ground with a thud and cheered along with the earth benders, her eyes alight with happiness

So great was her mirth, that she didn't even notice the metal fragments heading her way as a Fire Nation tank exploded into smithereens.

* * *

Amaya cried out in pain as someone peeled the clothing from her body, the cold air of the room caressing her burning skin. She shook her head blearily and the face of a smiling healer-girl loomed into view. "It's okay, my lady. We've won and you'll be up and running in no time." She said in a reassuring voice.

The girl hummed slightly as she drew water from a bowl and began to run it over the painful lacerations on Amaya's skin. The latter whimpered in pain as the metal fragments slowly fell from the wounds and the cuts began to heal themselves. A few more seconds passed, then the pain vanished and Amaya slumped back in relief.

"The cuts were mainly centered around your chest and arms and some were on your neck as well. I've healed them to the best of my ability but you'll have scars from the more deeper ones, your majesty." The girl said with a hesitant smile.

"Thank you..?"

"Que." The girl said with a smile and began to help Amaya up.

"You have my gratitude, Que." She said to her with a grin. With a humble smile, Que handed Amaya a fresh shirt and she pulled it over her head.

As Amaya looked wistfully around the room, Que spoke, almost as if she had read her mind. "You can rest here for a few hours, if you like. I'm sure you're tired."

Amaya lay back onto the bed and for the first time in months, fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

It was as if the room had exploded with sound as Amaya entered, her eyes rimmed with kohl, her lips coated with red and her skin masked with make-up. She wore an intricately designed gold kimono with green trimmings and her hair was was clipped up, with a few strands hanging loose to frame her eyes.

Soldiers, generals, dignitaries and every important person in the kingdom crowded the room, their faces illuminated by the candle light. At once, she was bombarded with congratulating words, bowing people and servants carrying trays laden with food. Amaya greeted as much people as possible, smiling, nodding, her face muscles tiring from all the forced grinning.

"My lady, what an absolutely splendid victory!"

"We heard that you actually participated in the battle!"

"Allow me to invite you to a feast, highness!"

"How very inspiring!"

Thankfully though, someone lightly placed a hand on her shoulder and a deep voice rang throughout the crowd surrounding her. "If you would allow me to steal away your queen for just a moment, ladies and gentlemen, I would be forever grateful." Takeshi said with a charming smile and with a flourish, led Amaya away from the crowd and out towards the balcony.

As he slid the glass doors shut, she finally relaxed and warily turned to him with a smile.

"My lady, you look absolutely ravishing tonight." Takeshi said huskily as he stepped up to her. Despite herself, Amaya remained rooted in place and plastered a fake smile onto her face.

"Thank you, my lord." She said noncommittally, but refusing to give up, Takeshi stepped closer.

"Your outstanding courage makes me ever impatient for our wedding." He said and lightly brushed a strand of her hair out of her face.

"Anyone would be, if marrying me meant that they would become the Earth King." Amaya said smoothly.

Takeshi drew back and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "You seem...peeved, for lack of a better word."

"Why would I be? I have accomplished what no one ever has, I have made history. Today is the hardly the day to be upset." Amaya said with a wry smile.

"Well, then. I'm sure that this won't mar your good mood.." He said and leaned in to kiss her. As his lips brushed against hers and his arm snaked around her waist, Amaya tried not to cringe. She clenched her eyes shut and whimpered in protest. Takeshi, however, mistook it for pleasure and if anything, kissed her even harder, brazenly slipping his tongue into her mouth and fighting a one-sided battle. Judging by his expression, he was enjoying the kiss a hundred times more than Amaya who was busy trying to get his tongue out of her mouth.

But as his hand began to slip to the sash of her kimono and he pulled away to plant kisses on her neck, Amaya practically pushed him away, cautiously taking a few steps backwards in case he decided to jump her again.

"Such a display of lust is most inappropriate, my lord. Considering the fact that we are not even wedded yet, it would be indecent for us to..." Amaya trailed off meaningfully, her mind snidely reminding her of her time with Lu Ten.

"But-"

"Enough!" Amaya said firmly and brushed past him, sliding open the balcony doors and slamming them shut behind her.

Takeshi, however, smirked to himself as he leaned against the railing, absentmindedly wiping Amaya's lipstick from his lips as he stared at the spot where she had been standing not moments ago. _What a tease. But don't worry, I'll get you._

With that thought set in his mind, Takeshi left the balcony and plastering a smile onto his face, began to mingle with the crowd.

* * *

Amaya leaned over the sink and threw up the night before's dinner, her stomach muscles clenching painfully as she groaned in pain. She remained huddled over the sink for several minutes, calmly breathing in and out, before rinsing her mouth with water and exiting the bathroom.

As Amaya went over to her four poster bed, she saw that her servant had placed an extravagant kimono with silver trimmings on to it but after staring skeptically at it for several minutes, she changed her mind and turned over to her wardrobe. She rummaged through it and in the end, pulled out a plain white, baggy kimono and put it on. Amaya would be taking it off, anyway, for Que had said that she would be visiting her after a few days so that she could do a full check up to see if anything was wrong.

A few minutes passed in silence and Amaya spent that time quietly rummaging through the schedule that one of the servants had placed on her bedside table. It was crowded, for dignitaries from every corner of the kingdom insisted on meeting her and giving her a verbal congratulations while hauling along hordes of gifts.

Just as Amaya was rolling her eyes, a polite knock sounded on her door. "Enter." She called out and the young water bender entered, a serene smile playing on her lips.

"Good Morning, my lady. I hope you are well." She said cheerfully and Amaya found herself smiling.

"Sort of." Amaya replied vaguely and taking off the kimono, she lay down on the bed.

"Well, let's see what's wrong." Que said as she carefully examined Amaya's scars.

"They're healing quiet well but..." The girl said and with a furrow of her brows, pulled out water from her pouch.

She ran the glowing water first over her forearms and neck and then over her chest. However, she paused atop her lower chest, near her spleen. "Oh my..." Que said.

"What is it?" Amaya asked lazily.

"Well, that can't be right..." She muttered to herself but as she ran the water over Amaya's stomach, a gasp escaped her lips.

"What?" Amaya said irritably.

"My lady." Que said, her eyes wide as she continued to run the stream of water over Amaya's abdomen. After a few seconds of this, she met her gaze and with a grin announced:

"You're with child."

* * *

_Dun, Dun, Dun...Surpriiise! Lol, even though you probably figured it out anyway xD  
This is the second last chapter because I don't really want to stretch it any longer than it needs to be.  
So, there you go, hope you liked it and do review! Pretty, pretty please with a gigantic cherry, mango and strawberry on top ^_^_

_-Jade_


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue  
6 Years Later**

I still remember the moment that I heard Que say those few words. My heart stopped and I looked at her as if she was stupid. I felt infuriated, bemused, insulted, elated; when I think back, I wonder just how I could have felt so many emotions at one time. But I also wonder just how I could have been stupid enough to not want a child. At first, I was silent and still. In fact, that was the case for the whole three months of my reign. Suddenly, having won the battle at Ba Sing Se and being Queen meant nothing to me. It was all marred by the fact that I was now 'knocked up', as Feng often said when he used to refer to pregnant women in his neighborhood.

I tried to distract myself with my duties as Queen, I held meetings with the Council of Five and made preparations to help those affected by the war, to once more bring Ba Sing Se to it's former glory and to repair the wall. I visited Ryoko, got her a job and found her a house so that she could live in peace. I worked day and night but nothing I did could make me forget the fact that I was carrying a baby.

But even in those months, I didn't panic; my strongest reaction was my silence. But that was only until my bump started to show. That was when it all suddenly seemed so real and I wondered just how I was going to get myself out of this one. Of course, I did the only thing that occurred to me at that time. I ran away. I broke off the engagement and I ran as far away as I could from Takeshi, Kuei, Que. I became the fallen from grace ruler of Ba Sing Se.

Despite all my ambition, I still didn't mind and learnt to live with it. That was until, to my horror, the reason behind my running away came out. Then I became the laughing stock of thousands of people all over the world. While, at a time, I had been referred to as one of the most brilliant rulers of Ba Sing Se, I was now the whore, the slut, the silly little girl who got herself too deep into shit she didn't understand.

It hurt, oh did it hurt.

I only grew more bitter, infuriated by Que's betrayal and the fact that she had let me down after all those months of treating me. I thought I could trust her but in exchange for some number of gold coins, she gave me up. I hated her so much.

But I gathered that hate and channeled it towards the baby. I hurt myself and at one point, I actually wanted to kill myself. It was too much for me.

One day, though, it occurred to me that our spirits had joined, Lu Ten's and mine. Lu Ten was lost to me but I carried a piece of him within me. How could I ever have thought of letting go of something so, so special?

So, I had the baby and it was a boy, a beautiful baby that I named Akira. His features resembled mine but he had Lu Ten's golden eyes, but only a shade lighter. He was energetic, but not so much, and he understood me. When he sensed that I was pensive, he would quiet down and let me be. He wasn't like most children who badgered others but was an introvert, quite and peaceful. I didn't try to pressure him into socializing, I knew he wouldn't because all he ever did was paint. Day and night, that was what he did best. Much like how I enjoyed calligraphy, except that he devoted a lot more time to his paintings than I ever did to my calligraphy.

Akira was a non-bender, and that only added to his lovable personality for not being able to control an element made him all the more humble. He seemed more at peace with the world, the elements, than any other bender I had ever seen. He was unique.

So, now he is five years old, a normal boy with a room laden with paintings and hands that are always stained with color. I love him more than anything in the world.

However, up to this day, I haven't told him that he is the heir to two thrones. I don't think I ever will. I believe that an honest boy like him would be better off living life peacefully.

I have to admit, though, that in the first stages of my pregnancy I had begun to wonder whose child I was carrying. Lu Ten's or Takeshi's? When Akira was born and I glanced once at his golden eyes; trust me, I had never been more happier. But even to this day, I remain ashamed of giving into Takeshi's charm and letting him bed me. It was humiliating and I cringe every time I think of all the things I allowed him to do to me.

But the fact, that by running away I robbed him of the throne, has been consoling me for more than half a decade. However, I believe that he really did want me but that was only tainted by his greed for the throne and I don't think he took the rejection very well.

But that was in the past and so is the girl who ruled Ba Sing Se. Now I am a simple scribe who jots down documents, preserves facts and works for others. And truth be told, I have never been so happy.

I have never been so content.

* * *

_So, there you have it! My first fan fiction, complete :D I hope you liked how it turned out and if you didn't, do tell why; constructive criticism is welcome.  
To **Missy Sue:** Yay, I'm glad you liked it xD And thank you, for pointing that out. I read up on Avatar Wiki and you were right, so I'll just edit that :D  
And thank you to BlueEyesPrincess for reviewing ^_^_

_So, if you liked this fan fiction, let's hope you like the second one too, which will also be a dramatic romance or a romantic drama, but in a much happier time period. Which I'll be posting as soon as I work out the major plot glitches and decide how to best prevent the characters from turning out OOC xD_

_Until then, AHZ :]_

_-Jade258_


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